{{Infobox film | name = Ator 2 – L'invincibile Orion | image = AtorBlademaster.jpg | alt = | caption = One-sheet for ''The Blade Master'', the North American release | native_name = <!-- {{Infobox name module|language|title}} or {{Infobox name module|title}} --> | director = Joe D'Amato | writer = Joe D'Amato{{sfn|Kinnard|Crnkovich|2017|p=200}} | producer = John Newman{{sfn|Kinnard|Crnkovich|2017|p=200}} | starring = {{plainlist| * Miles O'Keeffe * Lisa Foster * David Brandon * Charles Borromel<ref>[https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/35125071 Cave dwellers (VHS tape, 1996)-WorldCat.org]</ref> }} | music = {{plainlist| * Karl Michael Demer * Carlo Rustichelli{{sfn|Kinnard|Crnkovich|2017|p=200}} }} | cinematography = Joe D'Amato{{sfn|Kinnard|Crnkovich|2017|p=200}} | editing = David Framer{{sfn|Kinnard|Crnkovich|2017|p=200}} | studio = {{plainlist| * Metaxa Corporation * Royal Film Traders }} | distributor = New Line Cinema | released = {{Film date|1982|12|16|ref1={{sfn|Kinnard|Crnkovich|2017|p=200}}}} | runtime = 92 minutes | country = Italy | language = Italian<br>English }}
'''''Ator 2 – L'invincibile Orion''''' ("Ator 2: Orion the Invincible"), or '''''The Blade Master''''' (North American title),{{sfn|Kinnard|Crnkovich|2017|p=200}}{{sfn|Kinnard|Crnkovich|2017|p=201}} is a 1982 Italian sword and sorcery film directed by Joe D'Amato, and starring Miles O'Keeffe as Ator, Charles Borromel as Akronos, Lisa Foster as Mila (daughter of Akronos), and David Brandon as Zor.
== Plot == Akronos has discovered the Geometric Nucleus during the course of his research. The Nucleus is a device of incredible power that could be used as a terrible weapon in the wrong hands. Akronos feels that the Nucleus must be kept from evil men at all costs. When he learns that the evil Zor and his army are approaching his castle, he asks his daughter Mila to bring his former student Ator back to help defeat him. Mila runs away to find Ator. Zor's soldiers enter and begin beating Akronos, but Zor angrily sends them away to maintain his magnanimous image.
Mila is pursued by Zor's soldiers and is wounded by them but continues to stagger towards Ator's home. At last, she arrives, and Ator uses his medical knowledge to heal her wound. She is then able to convince him that she is the daughter of Akronos, and that her father is in terrible danger.
Mila, Ator, and Oriental warrior Thong begin the journey back to Akronos' castle, facing various dangers along the way, including a tribe of cave-dwelling cannibals, another group determined to sacrifice them to their god (which is a giant snake), and other soldiers.
Finally, they make it back to the castle. While Mila and Thong sneak in the back way, Ator uses his knowledge of flight to quickly create a hang glider, which he flies over the castle, dropping bombs on Zor's soldiers. Having defeated most of Zor's forces, Ator takes on Zor himself and defeats him. Akronos convinces Ator to let Zor live to face trial, but when Ator steps away, Zor grabs a sword to threaten Ator, and Zor is killed by Thong.
Afterward, Akronos gives the Geometric Nucleus to Ator. Ator tells Mila he has to leave, that his life is too dangerous to share with her. Mila says that she knows Ator must fight evil where ever it occurs. Ator leaves Thong behind to help take care of Mila and Akronos. He then takes the Nucleus to a distant land, where he destroys it, resulting in a nuclear explosion.
==Cast== * Miles O'Keeffe as Ator * Lisa Foster as Mila * Charles Borromel as Akronos * Chen Wong as Thong, Ator's teacher * David Brandon as Zor (credited as David Cain Haughton) * Nancy Hall as 1st maiden * Linette Ray as 2nd maiden * Sandra Carle as old woman * Osiride Peverello as Sadur * Nello Pazzafini as warrior captain * Salvatore Baccaro as caveman{{sfn|Kinnard|Crnkovich|2017|p=200}}{{sfn|Poppi|2000|p=54}}
==Production== In early 1983, a few months after ''Ator, the Fighting Eagle'' was a commercial success, D'Amato embarked on a new project, casting Miles O'Keeffe again as the lead and Lisa Foster as his partner.{{sfn|Giordano|1998|p=142}} D'Amato and scriptwriter José Maria Sanchez, who had already worked on the first ''Ator'' film, prepared a prehistoric film in the vein of the successful Academy Award–winning French film ''Quest for Fire'' (1981).{{sfn|Giordano|1998|p=142}} The working title was {{Lang|it|Adamo ed Eva}}.{{sfn|Giordano|1998|p=142}} According to D'Amato, when everything was ready for the shoot and rehearsals had already begun, Miles O'Keeffe backed out for religious and moral reasons.{{sfn|Giordano|1998|p=142}} Mark Gregory played the lead role in {{Lang|it|Adamo ed Eva}}.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://medium.com/@rdfranciswriter/warriors-of-the-pasta-apocalypse-michael-sopkiw-and-mark-gregory-kicking-ass-in-the-80s-italian-bbb6d3ffabd3|title=Warriors of the Pasta-Apocalypse: Michael Sopkiw and Mark Gregory Kicking Ass in the '80s Italian Wastelands|last=Francis|first=R. D.|date=2019-08-05|website=Medium|language=en|access-date=2019-09-04}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.filmscoop.it/film_al_cinema/adamoedevalaprimastoriadamore.asp|title=ADAMO ED EVA - LA PRIMA STORIA D'AMORE regia di Enzo Doria, Luigi Russo con Mark Gregory, Andrea Goldman, Ángel Alcázar, Costantino Rossi, Marco Antonio Andolfi, FilmScoop.it vota e commenta film al cinema|last=www.webngo.net|website=www.filmscoop.it|language=it|access-date=2019-09-04}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.davinotti.com/index.php?f=16096|title=il Davinotti|website=www.davinotti.com|access-date=2019-09-04}}</ref>
O'Keeffe starred in ''Ator 2'' instead. D'Amato commented that "''Ator 2'' was made in great haste and almost without a script,"<ref>Palmerini, Luca M.; Mistretta, Gaetano (1996). "Spaghetti Nightmares". Fantasma Books. p. 79.{{ISBN|0963498274}}.</ref> and includes footage from the first ''Ator'' film in the form of flashbacks.{{sfn|Kinnard|Crnkovich|2017|p=200}} D'Amato said they made it to take advantage of a contract they had with Miles O'Keeffe.<ref>Palmerini, Luca M.; Mistretta, Gaetano (1996). "Spaghetti Nightmares". Fantasma Books. p. 79.{{ISBN|0963498274}}.</ref>
==Release== ===Italy=== According to Kinnard & Crnkovich, the film was released in Italy on December 16, 1982,{{sfn|Kinnard|Crnkovich|2017|p=200}} while Michele Giordano states that filming only began in early 1983. (Giordano and Poppi both maintain that the film was never theatrically released in Italy.){{sfn|Giordano|1998|p=142}}{{sfn|Poppi|2000|p=54}} On VHS, it was released by Eureka Video as {{Lang|it|Ator l'invincibile}}, which is actually the cinematic title of the previous ''Ator''.{{sfn|Smith|1995|p=27}}
===United States=== ''Ator 2'' was released in the United States as ''The Blade Master'' on February 15, 1984, with a 92-minute running time.{{sfn|Kinnard|Crnkovich|2017|p=200}} The film was shown on American television under the title ''Cave Dwellers'', a version of the film that included footage from the film ''Taur the Mighty'' in the opening credits.{{sfn|Kinnard|Crnkovich|2017|p=200}}
===Other countries=== The film has also been released under the titles ''Ator the Invincible'' (United Kingdom), {{Lang|de|Ator II - Der Unbesiegbare}} (Germany), and both {{Lang|es|Ator, el invencible}} and {{Lang|es|Ator 2, el invencible}} (Spain).{{sfn|Smith|1995|p=27}}
==Reception and legacy== ''Total Film'' included ''Ator 2 – L'invincibile Orion'' in their list of the 66 worst films of all time.<ref name=TotalFilm>{{cite web|url=http://www.totalfilm.com/features/66-worst-movies-of-all-time|title=66 Worst Movies Of All Time|date=2012-02-15|work=Total Film|access-date=2013-09-30}}</ref>
In its ''Cave Dwellers'' TV version (sold by Film Ventures International), the film was parodied as the third season premiere of ''Mystery Science Theater 3000''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rees |first1=Shelley S. |title=Reading Mystery Science Theater 3000: Critical Approaches |date=2013 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=9780810891418 |page=59 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T3YlZNMalRsC&pg=PA59 |access-date=7 March 2019 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last=MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000|title=MST3K: Cave Dwellers - Why We Love It|date=2016-07-25|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-C-e9Tt42HI|access-date=2019-09-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.geeksofdoom.com/2016/05/24/dvd-review-mst3k-volume-ii|title=MST3K: Volume II {{!}} DVD Review {{!}} Shout Factory|last=AdamFrazier|date=2016-05-24|website=Geeks of Doom|access-date=2019-09-04}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
===Sources=== {{Refbegin}} * {{cite book |last1=Giordano |first1=Michele |title=Giganti buoni: da Ercole a Piedone (e oltre) il mito dell'uomo forte nel cinema italiano |date=1998 |publisher=Gremese Editore}} * {{cite book |last1=Kinnard |first1=Roy |last2=Crnkovich |first2=Tony |title=Italian Sword and Sandal Films, 1908-1990 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1476662916 |year=2017}} * {{cite book |last1=Poppi |first1=Roberto |title=Dizionario del cinema italiano. I film dal 1980 al 1989. Vol.5, tomo 1, A-L |date=2000 |publisher=Gremese Editore}} * {{cite book|last1=Smith|first1=Simon|title=aka: Joe D'Amato. The Man and his Movies|date=1995|publisher=Festival Promotions}} {{Refend}}
== External links == * {{IMDb title|0086972}} * [https://watch.shout-tv.com/video/602835?showInterstitial=true MST3K treatment on ShoutFactoryTV]
{{Joe D'Amato}} {{Ator}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ator 2 - L'invincibile Orion}} Category:1982 Italian-language films Category:1984 English-language films Category:1984 fantasy films Category:1984 films Category:1984 multilingual films Category:Ator Category:English-language fantasy films Category:English-language Italian films Category:Films directed by Joe D'Amato Category:Films scored by Carlo Rustichelli Category:Italian multilingual films Category:Italian sequel films Category:Sword and sorcery films